Black and White, Sun and Moon, Sand and Rotator
by WhiteMoonofDeath
Summary: He was the Sun, and she was the Moon. He was the Sand, and she was the Rotator. They contrasted like Black and White. She was his strength, as he was her's. Collection of IchiRuki drabbles. Ch. 5: More than just words.
1. She was small, much smaller than him

***Disclaimer: **I do not own Ichigo, Rukia or anything that is of Bleach canon material-it all belongs to the lovely creator, Tite Kubo.

**Warnings: **none

* * *

**She was small, much smaller than him**

He couldn't deny that when they first met, the first thing that crossed his mind was how unbelievably _short_ she was compared to him.

It wasn't like she was merely a few inches shorter, she was a whole whopping twelve inches—a _foot_ shorter than him!

And while he always had the pleasure of looking down on her (especially during their bicker wars), she always managed to make him feel as if _she_ were the one staring down at_ him_.

One should never be fooled by the petite stature that is Rukia Kuchiki.

Despite how small she was, Rukia was one of the strongest people he knew.

Ichigo was quick to learn this.

Yet, he found that the fact that she was so petite was one of the many things he adored about her. It was…_cute_.

Not that he'd ever admit it out loud—especially to _her_.

"Oi, Ichigo!" Giving a light blink, Ichigo craned his neck downwards and wasn't surprised that a large pair of violet hues were glaring up at him. "What's with that stupid look on your face?"

With a roll of his eyes, Ichigo scowled and crossed his arms as he attempted to match her glare with one of his own.

"Tch, at least I'm not wasting my time drawing stupid rabbits all day." Rukia's eyes narrowed at his retort. She was at it again, making it seem as if _she_ were the one looking down on_ him_.

Rukia gave a short huff and a light purse of her lips as she uttered something along the lines of 'carrot-top and idiot' under her breath before turning back to her sketchbook full of poorly drawn rabbits.

The thing was, everything about Rukia was small,_ petite. _

Her height, her feet, her hands, even her nose. Every petite feature she possessed was what made her so unique to him.

Her strength and attitude was what made him forget how petite and fragile she looked. The way she would crinkle her little nose with displeasure at something he said, and how she would bury her small fist into his gut, or even when she would open that tiny mouth of her's and make a loud remark about his behavior, made him adore her all the more.

There were times where he would imagine pulling her petite form into his arms, just so he could revel in the feel of her small body against his own.

Then there were times where he would want nothing more than to hoist her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and just carry her around. She was so small and light, he doubted it would feel like he was even holding anything.

A tiny smirk pulled at his lips.

"What are you smirking about now?" Ichigo glanced over and noticed that she stood, no longer in her previous laying position, with her hands on her hips and a tiny brow raised. Her tiny lips twitched with annoyance.

"Ah, nothing." He leaned back on his bed, placing his hands behind his head as he laced them. "Just thinking about how _small_ you are compared to—"

Perhaps he didn't give himself enough time to dodge that right hook.

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**A/N:**

**Review please! :3**

Lately, I have been finding myself hit with tons of inspiration and plot bunnies so I thought "why not?" it wouldn't hurt to have a collection of IR drabbles, would it? If I feel like writing a little IchiRuki, I can just publish them all in one story document! ^^

All of these drabbles will be centered around the canon though, none of them will be in an 'AU' setting (such as no shinigami, SS, or any setting that is not Bleach related).

Also, I'll gladly take requests!


	2. He was large, much larger than her

***Disclaimer: **I do not own Ichigo, Rukia or anything that is of Bleach canon material. It all belongs to the lovely creator, Tite Kubo.

**Warnings: **Rangiku's pervertedness XD

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When they first met, she couldn't help but feel annoyed at how tall he was; or rather, at how much taller he was than _her_.

However, his height advantage did little to intimidate her. And she was quick to retaliate the moment he poked fun at the fact that she was indeed vertically challenged.

Even though he was quite a large man (at least to her), Rukia was quick to realize that underneath his intimidating stature, Ichigo was like a big stuffed animal. He may look mean, but once she got to know him, she found that he was really just a sensitive guy.

A sensitive guy with a hero complex.

Rukia immediately thought back to the time of her execution, after he managed to save her (much to her displeasure at the time). He had held her like a lost puppy as he stood tall like a mighty hero.

Ichigo was a man with unbelievable strength, and in that moment, she remembered his determination and the feel of how his reiatsu had wrapped around her like a blanket.

There will never be a day where Rukia would admit anything of such thoughts to him.

Compared to herself, just about _everything_ about Ichigo was large. His zanpakuto, his fit chest, his mouth, his arms, even his hands.

Rukia halted, blinking with wide eyes when she suddenly recalled Rangiku's words. _You know what they say about guys with big hands and large zanpakuto, right Rukia? _She nearly choked on her own spit as she fought off a blush when it began to burn at her cheeks.

"Oi, Rukia! You alright?" Covering her mouth with a hand, she was quick to avert her gaze elsewhere as she waved him off.

"I-I'm fine." Ichigo simply raised a brow before shrugging and moving back to his homework. Rukia glanced down at her sketchbook, admiring her current work: an Ichigo rabbit.

But if there was one thing she admired about him most, it was the size of his heart. Rukia knew no other man that had a heart larger than Ichigo's.

A small smile pulled at her lips as she muttered, "Idiot."

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**A/N:**

**Review please! ^^**

Meh, this actually came out much shorter than I expected it to be :/ Oh well. Rukia was actually a little harder to do on the topic of 'size' for some reason. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! There might be another one coming shortly!

If you have a request, let me know!


	3. If we ever kissed, it would go like this

***Disclaimer: **I do not own Ichigo, Rukia or anything that is of Bleach canon material-it all belongs to the lovely creator, Tite Kubo.

**Warnings: **none

* * *

**If we ever kissed, it would go like this**

It was least expected when two large hands slammed down upon her desk, causing her head to snap upward and meet the fiery gaze of _the_ Ichigo Kurosaki.

In any other situation, and if it happened to be any other shinigami, Rukia would immediately jump to the conclusion that perhaps there was an emergency within the barracks.

But seeing that this was Ichigo, she figured that there was just something on his mind; or, to her displeasure, maybe he was just here to make fun of her drawings some more.

Releasing a low sigh under her breath, Rukia calmly placed her sketchbook down and allowed her gaze to drift upward to meet his. She pursed her lips and knitted her brows, finally showing him that she was clearly annoyed with his _abrupt _entrance.

"What is it, Ichigo? Can't you see I'm busy?" She watched as the scowl on his face only grew deeper when he glanced down at her sketchbook.

"Oh yeah, you're _real_ busy." Rukia felt the corners of her lips twitch downwards, her patience was slowly dissipating with every aggravating breath he took. "Busy drawing your stupid rabbits all day." At this, she finally allowed her self control to snap when she moved into a standing position with her arms placed on her hips.

"I'll have you know that I am working on a project for the Women's Shinigami Association! It's not often that they allow me to draw anything for them!" Rukia countered, lifting her arms to fold them across her chest. Her brow gave an immediate twitch when she heard him mutter something along the lines of 'Tch, I can see why.'

Reaching downward, Rukia gripped the sides of her sketchbook and snapped it shut, closing off her current work from his scrutinizing gaze.

"What do you want? Are you causing Nii-Sama trouble again?!" She hissed, recalling how ever since Ichigo decided to spend the week in Soul Society—and in her brother's mansion no less—he had been purposely getting under her adoptive brother's skin. And her own, might she add.

"What? No! I haven't seen your stuck up brother all day!" At this point, she found herself rubbing at her temples in an attempt to fight off both her own irritation and the oncoming headache from such frustration.

"Then what do you want?!" At this, she watched as Ichigo leaned further on her desk and creased his brows downward with determination.

"Teach me how to use kido." Rukia was immediately taken aback with his sudden, unexpected suggestion. He seemed to have a habit of taking her off guard lately.

"You want _me_ to teach _you_ kido?" His fiery, molten brown eyes bore into her own with unhindered resolve. How could she say no?

She pressed her lips into a thin line, taking notice that he followed every movement she made with a fixed gaze.

After a few prolonged moments, she released an exasperated sigh accompanied by a roll of her eyes.

"Fine, not that you really _need_ it anyway." She watched when his frown was replaced by an upturn of his lips, and found that she had to fight the urge to roll her eyes once again.

"So, can we begin no—ah!" Rukia gripped him by the earlobe and dragged him toward the door.

"So impatient," she stated, though an amused smile graced her features, "From here on, I am known as your kido master, and you must do as I say!" The vice-captain paused long enough for Ichigo to reach out and grip her arm, managing to detach her deadly hold on his ear. He scoffed at her.

"Rukia," he gave a warning growl, but before he could protest, she was quick to correct him.

"That's Kuchiki-sensei to you!" With that, she continued to drag him along. It was quite noticeable that the substitute shinigami was far from pleased, despite her enthusiasm on the subject.

Then an hour past.

. . .

Which then turned to two hours.

. . .

And now it was six hours.

Long before now, Rukia had to deem him hopeless when it came to kido.

"Concentrate!" Ichigo's head whipped in her direction as she stood with her arms crossed as she gave a prominent frown. She could tell that he was frustrated, _beyond_ frustrated. But the fool just wasn't getting it.

"How can I concentrate when you're yelling at me every two seconds?!" Rukia heaved a sigh. By this time, his frustration carried over onto her. It was more that she was annoyed with herself. Despite her position as a vice-captain, she just couldn't seem to teach him even the slightest of kido techniques.

She watched him struggle for a few more moments before parting her lips, breaking the sudden silence between them.

"Why do you want to learn kido so bad?" It had been a question that was eating at her from the start. And despite his determination, Rukia had never thought of Ichigo as a shinigami who knew kido. He just didn't need it, he never needed it.

And he never will.

* * *

Ichigo halted his movements and tilted his head, watching her expectant form. His jaw clenched and his hands curled into fists at his sides when he averted his gaze elsewhere.

"To get stronger," he began in a low, rough voice. "I want to be able to protect everyone with everything that I have! If learning kido is what I have to do, then I'll do it!" Ichigo finally turned on his heels, facing the woman before him with a look that held complete resolve.

He knew the feeling of powerlessness and despair all too well.

He had seen his friends fall before him countless times at his mistakes. He had watched, and even _felt_ them fall. Ichigo would be damned if he allowed it to happen ever again—especially to _her_.

Too many, there were simply way too many times in which he had failed them; failed _her_.

Ichigo sucked in a breath when she took a few steps toward him. He watched her carefully as she grasped both his arms below the elbow and moved them accordingly so that his right arm was pointed straight, and his left held onto his right.

He gave a thick swallow when she softly trailed a finger along the side of his outstretched arm until she found his hand, adjusting it so that the flat of his palm faced outward.

"Idiot," he glanced at her through the corner of an eye as she moved around him, running her hands along the areas of his arms that needed to be adjusted, "you don't need kido in order to protect. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. While sword fighting came easy to you, kido turned out to be your weak point."

"I don't want any weaknesses," he found himself grumbling, earning him a glare from the kido master herself.

"There is no such thing as a shinigami with no weakness!"

"Tch, you'll see. I'll blast that damn target to bits."

"Perhaps if you were more patient!" Rukia retorted, then gathered herself before she spoke once again. "Close your eyes."

At this, he allowed the lids of his eyes to drift downward until he saw nothing but darkness. Silence then followed, and all he could hear was light shuffling of fabric, indicating that Rukia was right beside him.

"Now take a deep breath, and concentrate." Parting his lips, Ichigo took a deep breath and inhaled, then slowly exhaled.

He had this.

"Whenever you're ready."

He was going to do a kido spell, without flaw.

The moment his eyes shot open, he felt his reiatsu spike with resolve as his dark gaze bore down on the target before him.

"Hado thirty-three, Shakkahō!" A bright red blast of flaming energy flew forward and cracked down upon not only the target, but on everything that seemed to be in its way.

A smirk spread wide on his face, and when he turned to face Rukia, he noticed that her own smile mirrored his own.

"Well, I think that's enough excitement for today."

He had no idea what had gotten into him.

He didn't even know what had possessed him to wrap his arms around her waist, and it was only at her gasp of surprise that he realize what he was doing.

Despite this, Ichigo couldn't seem to stop himself when he reached up with his hand to caress her short raven tresses between his fingers as he leaned downward to capture her lips within his own.

"I-Ichigo," he felt her murmur, but she didn't pull away. Instead, to his surprise, she pushed her own lips back onto his.

Today, he mastered not only mastered a kido spell, but he was now considered the master of taking _the_ Rukia Kuchiki by surprise.

And he wouldn't have it any other way.

Just as long as she stayed by his side, he wouldn't mind having a weakness.

Because she was his strength.

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**A/N:**

**Review? ^^**

So, this idea just popped in my mind and I had to write it. Didn't take me long, actually. I'd say the editing part took me longer XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading it! And hopefully the way I portray both Ichigo and Rukia are true to their characters, but there's always a possibility of them being ooc, it's like that for all fanfiction!

I take any requests you wish to give :3


	4. We never say goodbye

*******Disclaimer: **I do not own Ichigo, Rukia or anything that is of Bleach canon material. It all belongs to the lovely creator, Tite Kubo.

**Warnings: **none.

* * *

**We never say goodbye**

To him, it didn't matter whether she was leaving for a few minutes, days, weeks, or even months, he always found that simple word to be too complicated and _permanent_. It always left a bad, displeasing taste on his tongue.

It didn't even matter where she was going, because it was just too hard to say such a simple word. It just didn't feel _right_; it never did.

So when she announced that she would be leaving soon, he wasn't sure how to respond. The question of '_why_' didn't even leave his mouth when his face had contorted with concentration and confusion. That is, until he remembered that they lived in two completely different worlds.

It was just so _normal_ for her to be here, with _him_, that he had forgotten that she would always be needed elsewhere. In the Soul Society.

Then he wondered, how long? And it wasn't until she had suddenly crossed her arms and shot him a stern look as if to say 'How should I know, idiot?' that he realized that he had voiced his thoughts. Of course, she wouldn't know, she never knew. And with her new title as vice-captain, it was even harder because her free time looked scarce, nearly nonexistent.

Ichigo let out what had to be the hundredth sigh that day as he laid sprawled along his bed with his arms folded behind his head. He glared up at the ceiling with his trademark scowl.

"You look cheerful." He snapped his head toward the doorway at the sarcastic remark and rolled his eyes at her.

"Since when am I ever cheerful?" She gave a shrug as her lips moved upward into a tiny smirk.

"Never, why do you think I keep telling you that if you don't stop scowling, that your face is going to be stuck like that?"

"And I keep telling you that if I cared, I would have stopped a long time ago," he countered, though a small smile quirked at her words. Ichigo slowly moved upward into a sitting position and stretched, getting rid of the kinks from being stationary for quite a long time.

He followed her form with his gaze as she moved about his room with languid motions, grabbing at anything she had carelessly left around earlier.

"So," he began a bit awkwardly when he sat at the end of his bed, "when are you leaving?" After taking the last of her markers off his desk, Rukia paused in her motions and lifted an index finger to tap at her chin when she glanced at the clock curiously.

"In about an hour."

The scowl returned when he felt a pang in his chest, the kind where he felt as though his heart had just dropped. He wasn't the type to admit much, let alone voice his thoughts, but he felt the overwhelming need to grab her and lock her in his closet.

Just as long as she was nearby, he wouldn't feel so _lonely_ when she was gone, despite the other occupants within the household—namely, his family.

He didn't want to admit that he wanted her to stay.

He didn't want to admit that without her, he felt nearly vacant.

He didn't want to admit that without her, nothing felt _normal_.

"Oh." Was all he could say.

He watched her in silence when she proceeded to pack her things. Then, as if she actually heard his mopy thoughts, she tilted her head upward and gazed at him with her eyebrows creased downward.

"What's wrong? Why do you have that look on your face?" Ichigo blinked at her with surprise. Clearly, he wasn't expecting her to see right through him. In fact, he wasn't expecting her to say anything at all, they were never great at expressing their emotions to each other. But somehow, they were always able to guess what the other was thinking.

"Ah, nothing." Simultaneously, he lifted an arm and awkwardly scratched the back of his head while averting his gaze elsewhere. He heard her give a low huff, and he could see out of the corner of his eye how she instantly placed her hands on her hips. He could feel her deep violet gaze burn holes right through him as she watched him incredulously.

Finally, she shook her head and gave a frown of her own before taking a few steps toward his bed so she stood a few mere inches from him.

"Don't give me that face, just because I'm leaving doesn't mean I'm never coming back," she explained casually, as if she knew the exact words to lift his spirits. Somehow, she always did. And she was right.

"Tch," he muttered and tossed his head to the side to cover up his sudden embarrassment, "yeah right, like that makes me happy!" But it did. And during that split moment of silence that took place between them, he noticed Rukia give a small smile accompanied by a shake of her head.

"Idiot." He felt the corners of his lips twitch upward at her expected response.

His amber eyes then flickered toward the bright green numbers on his clock. _A half hour, _he thought sadly, knowing that her fast approaching departure was inevitable.

It was funny how time always seemed to fly when he was with her. Not that he was the type to keep track of time, but when she wasn't there, Ichigo found himself counting the days as he would try to be optimistic about the next time she'd visit him.

His heart clenched at the memory of when she had been gone for seventeen months. _Exactly_ seventeen months. Perhaps, he'd be going overboard if he knew the exact number of days they'd been separated. Okay, he _did_ know the exact number of days—because each one of those days, he awaited her return, even though he knew that there was no way she could if he didn't possess the ability to see her like he used to.

He was just going through the motions; he was simply _existing_ as the world began moving at a pace much quicker than he was comfortable with.

Casually sliding his hands into his pockets, Ichigo glanced over at the smaller shinigami when she resumed shuffling about his room. His brows knitted downward in deep thought.

_How can I keep up with the speed of the world when you're not here?_

It was hard for him to imagine any kind of world without Rukia.

Unconsciously, he fingers curled into fists at such a thought. It was the same thing with his mother, before she died.

"Hey, Rukia." At the sound of her name, she finished packing her things and tilted her head in his direction. His heart nearly skipped a beat at the sight of her wide, curious, yet expectant violet gaze. Ichigo parted his lips to say something, but pressed them into a thin line as he nervously reached up to scratch the back of his head. He almost forgot what he was going to say.

"Rukia, I-" He was cut off by the sound of a continuous, high-pitched beeping sound, and he watched with a frown when she averted her attention to the phone within her hands.

"It's a hollow," she stated, as if he didn't know. However, he already grabbed for his shinigami badge when she separated from her gigai. The moment he was removed from his body, he followed her out the window and leaped across rooftops. He could sense that it was nearby.

"Ichigo!" At her urgent cry, his eyes widened when a large, hollow-like hand swiped at him from the side, causing him to leap backward. Cursing low, he held his zanpakuto in hand and narrowed his gaze at the ugly monster before him. _Damn_ was it ugly.

It then lifted its head and let out a loud, deadly howl. Its cry reverberated throughout the town as it moved toward him with slow steps.

Ichigo tightened his grip on the hilt of his zanpakuto. He wanted nothing more than to end this, right here and now. Sucking in a deep breath, he allowed his reiatsu to run haywire as he anticipated his attack.

As if on cue, Rukia ran the silver of her blade through the hollow's arm and immediately shunpoed to the side, purposefully moving out of his way.

"Getsuga...Tenshou!" Ichigo swung his blade down and watched the flaming blue energy rip through the hollow's form without hesitation.

"Tch." He rested his large blade on his shoulders as the hollow let out a last screech before completely disintegrating into tiny particles.

"Ichigo!" Shifting on his feet, he noticed Rukia jogging toward him. A small smile reached his lips when she came to a halt in front of him.

She returned the smile, though he noticed she gave a slight roll of her eyes.

"Rash as ever." He rolled his eyes right back at her.

"Annoying as ever." Rukia's eye twitched in irritation before she crossed her arms and gave a small shake of her head. Ichigo was sure he caught the word 'idiot' mumbled under her breath.

They went silent for a few moments before Rukia spoke up, catching his attention.

"I have to go." Her brows were creased downward and her mouth was tilted into a light, apologetic frown.

Averting his gaze elsewhere, he didn't allow that word to slip through his lips. It didn't feel right, it never did.

_Goodbye _was just too complicated, and permanent.

Gathering himself, Ichigo allowed his arms to rest at his sides as he gave her a small smile.

"I'll see ya." Rukia looked surprised for a moment before returning a genuine smile of her own.

"Yeah, see you later, Ichigo."

_We'll always meet again, no matter what._

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**A/N:**

Whew, to be honest, the hardest part is coming up with these little scenarios! I apologize for not uploading anything in the past few days, but I haven't been feeling well lately and I have been working on two chaptered IR fics at the same time (one shall be posted soon, while the other isn't going to be posted until it's finished).

On another note, I have a poll up on my profile and it would be awesome if you could put in your opinion (you don't have to)! I have my own preferences, but it interests me to see what other people think!

So, tell me what you think?

**Review please? :3**


	5. More than just words

_Summary:_ What she, Kuchiki Rukia, realized was that it would take more than just three simple words.

_Words:_ 467

_Rated:_ K+

***Disclaimer: **I do not own Ichigo, Rukia or anything that is of Bleach canon material-it all belongs to the lovely creator, Tite Kubo.

* * *

**More than just words**

It takes more than just wordѕ…

…It takes the υℓтιмαтє sacrifice of the heart.

It takes courage—

—it takes love.

This, she knew. Though, one would be curious as to how she, Kuchiki Rukia, of all people, knew. After all, she was the ice queen, right? A cold, stoic noble woman who only strove for status and rank—her only motivation being that the honor of her family was at stake. Ah, but the common crowd of Seireitei were mistaken. She only allowed them to see what she _wanted_ them to see: a cold, stubborn woman. A woman who they supposed had no heart. A woman who was impervious to the mere _capability_ of loving. She was, after all, Kuchiki Byakuya's younger sister.

They failed to see through her feigned existence. It wasn't that she was missing a heart. No, those people had failed to see what those icy walls sought to protect—or perhaps prevent. There was an unseen fact that remained about her, and it was that she had come to the conclusion that she had loved _too much_. _Too fiercely_._Too unconditionally_. So she distanced herself; became detached, and so, became_lonely_.

That was, until she met_ him_.

_Kurosaki Ichigo_.

It had been almost instantaneous that those walls melted, and thus her heart, against her will, began to beat once again. With every passing day, week, even month, her heart managed to beat one more beat than it had the day before.

She had been ignorant at first, perhaps on purpose—or maybe she only wished to ignore it. Maybe it was a phase and it would pass. It never did. With every argument, slap, punch, kick, and scream, she somehow managed to love once again.

She loved his stupid smirk, even his scowl. She loved his ridiculously, blinding orange hair. She cherished those moments, however small, where he would pretend that she was a pain to be around, despite how she knew that it was their way of spending time together.

She loved his compassionate nature, and even his stubborn ways.

She loved…she loved _him_.

She loved him _fiercely_, and _unconditionally_. Perhaps, she thought, that she loved him _too much_.

She mused that she did, considering how she suspected how her heart would jump right out of her chest if it were capable. Not that she'd ever admit such a thing to him. But, there was one thing she _could_ admit to the obnoxious substitute shinigami known as Kurosaki Ichigo.

But, she realized, that it would take more than words.

It would take courage.

It would take the ultimate sacrifice of her own heart—the very thing she had sought to protect for decades; and it would take _love_.

Kuchiki Rukia had realized that it would take her very heart and soul for her to say, "_I love you_."

* * *

**A/N:**

So it's been a while, I'll admit. Got a lot of things on my mind right now but lately I have found myself inspired despite the stress. So I decided to upload something I wrote a few days ago, and I'm actually very proud of it.

It's short and sweet. I hope it was enjoyable and fazed your poor little shipper hearts 3

More should be coming soon, I promise!

(I also do take drabble/one-shot requests so if you have an idea that you want me to write for you, go ahead as long as it's in the canon realm of Bleach!)


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